"I only have one thing I'd really like to see happen. I'd like to see mankind live together. Black, white, Chinese, everyone. You know what I mean? That's all."
This biography of Bob Marley was a joy to watch, though as a big fan of his music, I may be biased. I found it wonderfully complete, from his earliest days in Saint Ann (a very rural area in Jamaica) and Trench Town (a planned community in Kingstown) to international fame before his tragic demise at just 36. The interviews cut across a wide set of people in his life - fellow artists, friends, lovers, children, etc, all of it insightful, with my favorite commentary provided by Neville Garrick, the artistic director for the band in the 1970's. Most importantly, it does reasonable justice to Marley's skills as a songwriter, which I think are sometimes undervalued because of some of the perceptions of reggae music. Marley worked tirelessly on his songs, sleeping only four hours a day, and the depth of the social and political messages in them is stirring, and that comes across here.
Another thing made clear is how much of a fighter Marley was, even in the small things in life, like pickup soccer games or foot races with his children. He had to overcome childhood poverty, ostracization before he was half-white, corruption in the Jamaican recording industry (see 'The Harder They Come' (1972) for more of this), a white producer who had the band essentially working for free (prompting Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer to leave), and political polarization in Jamaica that led to his home being shot up in an assassination attempt. Through it all, he found strength in his religion, and with his music cut across racial and political boundaries, becoming a larger than life figure in Jamaica and parts of Africa. In his charisma, messages of peace and brotherhood, personal integrity, and universal appeal, he reminded me of Muhammed Ali.
The documentary holds nothing back relative to Marley's belief in Rastafarianism, e.g. As it related to his views on how women should dress, his polyamorous life, and his view that Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie was the second coming of Christ. One of his daughters makes it clear he wasn't around much as a father either, and we hear a variety of perspectives on what his womanizing meant to Rita Marley, his legal wife. I appreciated the honesty that runs throughout the film, but there were times when I wanted to hear more of his music, e.g. 'Babylon System,' 'Top Rankin,' or 'Positive Vibration' (all missed here), and questions asked of his band about particular songs. I think the documentary fell a teeny bit into the trap that stops Marley from being fully appreciated, and that is fascination with his lifestyle, ganja included, though I liked Rita's simple comment on its use to promote inner peace and spirituality. Overall, though, a solid portrait of a great musician, one who left us far too soon.
This biography of Bob Marley was a joy to watch, though as a big fan of his music, I may be biased. I found it wonderfully complete, from his earliest days in Saint Ann (a very rural area in Jamaica) and Trench Town (a planned community in Kingstown) to international fame before his tragic demise at just 36. The interviews cut across a wide set of people in his life - fellow artists, friends, lovers, children, etc, all of it insightful, with my favorite commentary provided by Neville Garrick, the artistic director for the band in the 1970's. Most importantly, it does reasonable justice to Marley's skills as a songwriter, which I think are sometimes undervalued because of some of the perceptions of reggae music. Marley worked tirelessly on his songs, sleeping only four hours a day, and the depth of the social and political messages in them is stirring, and that comes across here.
Another thing made clear is how much of a fighter Marley was, even in the small things in life, like pickup soccer games or foot races with his children. He had to overcome childhood poverty, ostracization before he was half-white, corruption in the Jamaican recording industry (see 'The Harder They Come' (1972) for more of this), a white producer who had the band essentially working for free (prompting Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer to leave), and political polarization in Jamaica that led to his home being shot up in an assassination attempt. Through it all, he found strength in his religion, and with his music cut across racial and political boundaries, becoming a larger than life figure in Jamaica and parts of Africa. In his charisma, messages of peace and brotherhood, personal integrity, and universal appeal, he reminded me of Muhammed Ali.
The documentary holds nothing back relative to Marley's belief in Rastafarianism, e.g. As it related to his views on how women should dress, his polyamorous life, and his view that Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie was the second coming of Christ. One of his daughters makes it clear he wasn't around much as a father either, and we hear a variety of perspectives on what his womanizing meant to Rita Marley, his legal wife. I appreciated the honesty that runs throughout the film, but there were times when I wanted to hear more of his music, e.g. 'Babylon System,' 'Top Rankin,' or 'Positive Vibration' (all missed here), and questions asked of his band about particular songs. I think the documentary fell a teeny bit into the trap that stops Marley from being fully appreciated, and that is fascination with his lifestyle, ganja included, though I liked Rita's simple comment on its use to promote inner peace and spirituality. Overall, though, a solid portrait of a great musician, one who left us far too soon.